Post-card album.



PATENTBD JULY 2, 1907.

R. F. MORSE. POST CARD ALBUM. APPLIOATION FILED SBPTJB. 1906.

FIEIEI INVENTUR,

1n: NORRIS PETERS co., wAsmmzmu, 1:. c4

RODOLPH F. MORSE, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BOST-CARD ALBUM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1907.

Application filed September 13,1906. Serial Ila-334,438.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rononrn F. Monsn, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of the city and county of Providence and Stateof Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments inPost-Card Albums, of which the following is a specification My inventionrelates to improvements in albums, and more especially to the classtermed souvenir post card albums, and it consists essentially of aplurality of superimposed integral units or holders proper, each formedfrom a thin sheet-metal blank folded so as to form slightly separatedyielding sides or walls for frictionally holding the cards between them,front and back members constituting the two covers of the album, andmeans for securing or binding all the said partstogether; the wholeforming what may be called a metal back extension album, all as morefully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

One of the objects I have in view is to produce an inexpensive album inwhich souvenir or picture postcards or other uniform cards or sheets maybe easily and quickly mounted or inserted and as readily detachedtherefrom when desired, the operation in no wise defacing or injuringthe card.

A further object of the invention is to provide the album with meanswhereby a variable degree of resiliency may be produced at will, suchvariation to correspond say with the number of cards in the album at thetime.

A further object of the invention is to so construct and arrange theparts of the album that it may be easily and quickly extended ifdesired, thus increasing its holding capacity. And a further object ofthe in vention is to produce an album having a series of independentholders, each capable of frictionally holding therein one or more cards,and possessing an additional advantage in that the cards are not liableto become accidentally loosened and drop out of the album.

Cards mounted in my improved album may be readily removed from theholders and rearranged therein at will, or other cards substitutedwithout manipulating the binding device.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 represents a sideelevation of an album embodying my improvements, the front cover beingremoved and showing a post card mounted therein. Fig. 2 represents a topor upper edge view of the album in its normally closed position, one ofthe holders containing cards. Fig. 3 shows in elevation one of theholders detached, viewed from the inner or card-receiving edge, thecards being omitted. Fig. 4 is a similar view, showing the holder withcards mounted therein. I

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view, in enlarged scale, taken on line5 5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a similar view,

taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 shows a modification in reducedscale. l

I may state that I am aware that what are termed loose-leaf binders havebeen devised and employed long prior to my invention and so arrangedthat individual leaves or folios may be detached from the binder properor inserted therein. In such former devices, however, the leaves areusually perforated or otherwise specially a'dapted to cooperate withcertain looking mechanism contained in the back of the binder. Bindersof this class are comparatively quite expensive to manufacture owing tothe mechanical features involved and the accuracy required in making andassembling the various members entering into their production.

My improved album A illustrated and described herewith, and forming thesubject of this application forpatent, differs materially from saidformer devices or binders.

In carrying out my invention I use two ordinary stiff, fiat, boards orcovers, 0 a, somewhat exceeding in size the card or leaf d to be mountedin the album. At the left side and near the corresponding edge of thesaid cover members, the latter are as drawn perforated with aliningupper and lower small holes 0 the distance between the holes beinggreater than the height or width of thc card (1.

The binders proper or holder members a may be made of any suitablematerial possessing a degree of resiliency. I prefer to cut the blanksfrom strips of thin sheet steel; the blank is next folded longitudinallyalong the center thereby producing the pair of connected sides a a theadjacent longitudinal free edges of which are slightly separated to formthe opening or space for the reception of the cards. The form of saidopening, I), cross-sectionally, is substantially wedge-shaped, asindicated in a somewhat exaggerated degree in Fig. 5. The upper andlower ends of the holder a (see Fig. 1) are well rounded and piercedwith holes a registering, when in use, with the said holes 0 of thecovers. The two sides a extend from the back of the holder in adivergent direction, substantially as before stated. The width of theopening or deep groove 1) at the bottom is or may be equal to orslightly less than the thickness of a card d so that the normalresiliency or yielding function of the sides a serve to frictionallyhold the card between them without injury. In case three cards areinserted in the holder the two outer cards will not enter quite so farin the groove as the first or middle one (see Figs. 4 and 6). The act ofintroducing the cards may operate to slightly expand or separate thesides a. See Fig. 6.

In assembling the units or holders a, the number of which is optionaland obviously correspond with or have relation to the number of cardsthe album is to contain or normal capacity, the same, 'i. e., theholders, are superimposed on one another and the covers 0' placed inposition to embrace them, the holes a of the latter then registeringwith those of the covers. This is followed by threading a suitableflexible or even an elastic cord or member m transversely through saidholes, 0 e, at top and bottom of the album and securing the ends of thecord by tying or otherwise. See Fig. 2.

The album or book thus completed may be readily opened and closed; itisadapted to remain open in a flat state at any desired point or holderthus permitting the user to employ both hands if more convenient ininserting and removing cards. As cards are added the cord m may beloosened and retightened from time to time thereby increasing thelateral pressure upon the holders and the cards. The covers arepractically nonyielding.

I may add that in inserting a card one of its ends is introduced in theopening 1) between the slightly separated sides of the holder until itbecomes well wedged therein, the other end of the card then being lree.By means of this arrangement all the cards in each holder a may ifdesired be placed so that the principal or picture side of each becomesthe front or obverse iace. When thus mounted the cards may be turnedsomewhat like the leaves of a book. In case two cards be mounted in aholder they may be placed back to back, thus forming as it were adouble-leaf having a picture on its reverse face as well as on theobverse.

The holding capacity of the album may be easily changed by simplyloosening the cords m and removing the l'ront cover, then adding moreholder members if its capacity is to be increased or extended or byremoving some of the holders if the albums capacity is to be reduced,followed by replacing the cover and securing all the parts together bythe binding-cords m.

Minor changes or variations in the construction ol the album may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention, as for example,theholders may be elongated and the covers correspondingly increased inheight or width, thereby producing say an album t vocard high or wide.In such case an additional bindingeord may be also used, the latterbeing located centrally between the adjacent edges of the separatedupper and lower series of cards and passing transversely through thecover and holder members substantially in the same manner as the top andbottom or end cords, and as represented in greatly reduced scale in Fig.7.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by United States LettersPatent As an improved article of manufacture, the postcard ul humhereinhet'ore desuibed, the suine comprising lront. und renr covers orbucks c, :1 plurality otf independent snptlinh posed yielding" holders(I 01' sheotsmetul located between said covers, ench holder beingintegral and having two laterally separated sides (1 united at: the buckund forming :1 V-shuped opening or space I; between them for the insortion of a card, and binding-cords passing transversely throughregistering holes formed in the upper illltl lower ends of the holdersand the adjacent part. ot the covers; the distance between said he]longitudinally of the holders, exceeding the width or height: of theeurd so that the latter may be readily inserted in the holder to thebottom thereot without changing the normal form and appearance oi thecurd.

Signed at; Providence. ll. l.. this 12th day otf September. 190GvltOllOlilll l MORSE.

Witnesses Gun. II. REMINGTON, CALVIN ll. Brown.

